NBC’s “The Voice” coach was announced as the “Billboard Music Awards’” host last week and will emcee the award show for the first time. Legend is coming off his starring role in NBC’s commercially and critically acclaimed “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.”

The artists will join previously announced performers BTS, Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa and Shawn Mendes on a night filled with music’s biggest names. The show will feature performances from this year’s hottest musical acts, unexpected collaborations and buzzworthy moments that celebrate 60 years of the Billboard Hot 100.

Talent Billboard Chart Facts:

Kelly Clarkson made her Billboard chart debut a little over 15 years ago and has charted over two dozen hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including 11 Top 10s. Three of those songs soared all the way to No. 1: “A Moment Like This,” “My Life Would Suck Without You” and “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).” She’s also claimed 10 entries on the Billboard 200 albums chart, including three No. 1s. Her most recent release, 2017’s “Meaning of Life,” bowed at No. 2 and launched a pair of Top 20-charting hits on the Adult Pop Songs chart: “Love So Soft” and “I Don’t Think About You.” Clarkson has earned four Adult Pop Songs No. 1s, among 16 Top 10s, the latter total a mark that only two other artists have achieved in the chart’s two-decade-plus history. In total, Clarkson’s catalog of albums has earned 18.6 million equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, while her songs have sold more than 35 million downloads and generated over 1.5 billion on-demand streams.

Two-time Billboard Music Award winner John Legend has been adding to his collection of chart accolades for over a decade, dating to his Billboardchart debut in May 2004 on Slum Village’s “Selfish,” with Kanye West. Since then, the R&B singer has launched 15 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including his smash hit “All of Me” in 2014, which spent three weeks atop the chart and finished the year at No. 3 on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 ranking. Legend has also scored six Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, which has helped him earn over 8 million equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music.

Kelly Clarkson has sold more than 25 million albums and 36 million singles worldwide. She has placed 11 singles in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is the recipient of three Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards and a CMA Award. The acclaimed singer/songwriter released her highly anticipated new album “Meaning of Life,” the first for Atlantic Records, on Oct. 27, 2017. “Meaning of Life,” featuring the emotionally charged single “I Don’t Think About You,” is the album Clarkson was destined to make with Atlantic, a collection of smart and sensual soul-inspired pop that immediately belongs among the legendary label’s classic canon. For her eighth studio album – and follow-up to 2015’s chart-topping “Piece By Piece” – Clarkson united a stellar team of top songwriters and producers to collaborate, among them past collaborators Jason Halbert, Jesse Shatkin and Grammy-winning Producer of the Year Greg Kurstin, as well as first-time collaborators Mick Schultz, the Monarch and Nick Ruth, among others.

Clarkson’s “Piece by Piece,” debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking her third No. 1 debut. “Piece by Piece” garnered two 2016 Grammy nominations (Pop Vocal Album and Pop Solo Performance for her hit single “Heartbeat Song”). Clarkson’s 2011 release, “Stronger,” was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, and produced the smash singles “Mr. Know It All” and “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” which marked her ninth and 10th Top 10 hits. “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” was No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for two consecutive weeks (three weeks total), marking her third No.1 on the Hot 100 chart. In 2013, she released her first holiday album, “Wrapped in Red,” which debuted at No. 3, was the biggest holiday album debut for a female artist since 2010, and is certified platinum.

Clarkson is also a New York Times best-selling author, having recently released her second children’s picture book, “River Rose and the Magical Christmas”. This is the follow-up to “River Rose and the Magical Lullaby,” which debuted at No. 7 on The New York Times bestsellers list for children’s picture books.

Clarkson currently serves as a coach on the four-time Emmy Award-winning competition series “The Voice.”

Critically acclaimed, multi-award winning, platinum-selling singer-songwriter John Legend has garnered ten Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Tony among others. In 2016, John released his fifth studio album “DARKNESS AND LIGHT,” to rave reviews and toured to sold out audiences across the globe. John also serves as one of the principles for Get Lifted Film Co., a film and television production company based in Los Angeles. Get Lifted Film Co. serves as Executive Producers on NBC’s live production of Jesus Christ Superstar, the HBO documentary “Southern Rites,” 2018 Tribeca Audience Award Winner documentary United Skates, WGN America’s series “Underground,” and films such as “Southside With You” and “La La Land.” In 2015, John initiated the #FREEAMERICA campaign; a campaign designed to change the national conversation of our country’s misguided criminal justice policies and to end mass incarceration. In April 2018, John released a new track called “A Good Night” Featuring Blood Pop, and also starred as Jesus Christ in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live!

Nominations for the “2018 Billboard Music Awards” were announced last month on NBC’s “Today” and on a livestream from Billboard’s New York office. Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran tie for the most nominations this year with 15 each.

Voting for the two fan-voted categories — Billboard Chart Achievement Award and Top Social Artist — will open in the coming weeks and additional details will be available soon.

“Billboard Music Awards” nominees and winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The awards are based on the reporting period of April 8, 2017 through March 31, 2018. Since 1940, the Billboard charts have been the go-to guide for ranking the popularity of artists, songs and albums, and are the ultimate measure of success in music.

Tickets for the “2018 Billboard Music Awards” are on-sale now. To purchase tickets online, fans should go to www.axs.com.

For the latest Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs) news, exclusive content and more, be sure to follow the BBMAs on social media and join the conversation by using the official hashtag for the show, #BBMAs.

The “2018 Billboard Music Awards” is produced by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, Mark Bracco, Barry Adelman and Robert Deaton are executive producers.

The “2018 Billboard Music Awards” are sponsored by T-Mobile.

About Billboard

Billboard is the world’s largest voice in music, built on the most complete and well-respected database of charts across all music genres. The Billboard charts define success in music. From the iconic Billboard magazine to Billboard.com, the ultimate consumer-facing destination for millions of passionate music fans, to the industry’s most elite conference series and influencer events including the Power 100 and Women in Music – the Billboard brand has unmatched authority among fans, artists and the industry alike. Billboard has a social media footprint of 16.4 million social followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and creates more than 200M cross-platform video views per month. Billboard magazine has published major news-generating covers recently including Travis Scott, Zayn, Lorde, Marshmello, Demi Lovato, Cardi B, Selena Gomez, Eminem, DJ Khaled, Charlie Puth, and an open letter to Congress signed by 180+ of the music industry’s biggest stars and executives. In December 2017, the Billboard Women in Music ceremony, which honored Selena Gomez as Woman of the Year, was live-streamed globally on Twitter. In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group acquired SpinMedia’s storied music assets Spin, Vibe, and Stereogum, establishing the world’s largest music brand by digital traffic, social reach, and audience share. The combined entity of music and entertainment properties now reaches 47 million unique visitors and one in every three U.S. millennials.

About dick clark productions

dick clark productions (dcp) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming with the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” and the “Streamy Awards.” Weekly television programming includes “So You Think You Can Dance” from 19 Entertainment and dcp. dcp also owns one of the world’s most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries with over 60 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. dcp is a division of Valence Media, a diversified media company with divisions and strategic investments in premium television, wide release film, specialty film, live events and digital media. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.

SHOW MEDIA CREDENTIALS

To apply for media credentials to cover the “2018 Billboard Music Awards,” please click HERE and fill out the online form. Credential application process closes Wednesday, May 9, 2018.